BERLIN (AP) — Just hours before Russia began invading Ukraine nearly a year ago, actor Sean Penn had his first on-camera meeting with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“It was like he realized he was born for this moment,” Penn recalled in an interview with The Associated Press at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday, the day after after the premiere of his documentary “Superpower”. “
Penn and his co-director Aaron Kaufman were in Kiev filming a profile of the comedian-turned-president when war broke out. It would be the image of the president walking into the room for his first interview that would have the greatest impact on Penn.
“It’s hard to explain, but there was a determination in reaction to something no one had ever faced before,” Penn said.
Also Saturday, in a news conference, Penn said they returned to the hotel after the interview and that the bombing began that night. When they first met Zelensky, he had “a proper suit and a proper office.”
“The next time I saw him, he was in camouflage and his country was at war,” Penn said.
The outbreak of war took the documentary down an unexpected path. The film also contains other interviews with the president conducted over the past year.
After the project was completed, the pair continued to talk off-camera. Last year, Zelensky awarded the Hollywood star – who has been involved in numerous international anti-war and humanitarian efforts over the years – with the Order of Merit of Ukraine. Penn also received a plaque on a track in Kiev honoring world leaders who have shown solidarity with Ukraine.
Penn told the AP that people will be very surprised by “Zelensky’s command of the government machine.”
“Not just his, but everyone he relies on, his sense of mapping the diplomatic territory,” he said. “It’s on fire. He has that extreme gift for politics.”
Penn recalled the “civilization” he saw when he left Ukraine across the Polish border just days after the invasion began.
“No one is honking. No one was trying to get around the other and take, and there was a kind of silent acceptance,” Penn said in the interview. “You know, these were broken families too. Some, most remain broken.
On a later visit to Ukraine, Penn loaned Zelensky one of his two Oscars, telling him, “When you win, take it back to Malibu.”
“The Oscar is right there in his office ready to melt whenever he wants to melt it,” Penn clarified at a press conference after threatening to taste his awards in public if Zelenskyy was not scheduled for the Oscars from last year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not include a video speech from the president, opting instead for a moment of silence in support of the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy addressed the opening of the Berlinale on Thursday, urging artists and filmmakers to express their support for Ukraine.
Penn said at a press conference that the Oscar gift was inspired by “the continuing shame of the leadership of the Academy, the film academy, for choosing to present Will Smith, who spoofs Chris Rock, rather than the most great symbol of cinema and humanity. . in their schedule today.”
Penn’s two Academy Awards were both for best actor, in 2003 for “Mystic River” and in 2008 for “Milk.” His previous directing credits include “Flag Day,” “Into the Wild” and “The Pledge.”
While it’s not uncommon for characters on the show to champion a cause, “Superpower” sees Penn travel to the front lines to talk to soldiers in the trenches. When it comes to her drive and determination, the star couldn’t tell you where it came from.
“I could come up with a number of answers,” he joked to the AP. “It’s something I don’t really think about, although I’ve been asked many times. … I have no words for this.
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